‘Giant’ venomous spider discovered in Australia. See the ‘absolutely huge’ monster
The Australian Reptile Park is home to more than 2,000 funnel-web spiders. But recently the park received a record-breaking creature when someone turned in a large arachnid.
The approximately 3.1-inch spider turned out to be the largest male funnel-web spider the park has ever received, according to a Jan. 3 Facebook post from the park. Researchers named the ginormous creature “Hercules.”
“Males are typically much smaller than females but Hercules is just as big as the biggest female funnel-web that we’ve had handed in,” the park said in its post.
The “giant” creature got his name for his “sheer size,” Emma Teni, a spiderkeeper at the park, said in a video shared in the post. Teni added that Hercules has “some of the biggest fangs” she has ever seen.
Funnel-web spiders are known from Australia’s east coast, according to the Australian Museum. They are “medium to large spiders” ranging from about 0.4 inches to about 2 inches. They are believed to be responsible for about 13 envenomation deaths before the creation of antivenom in 1981.
Spiders housed in the reptile park’s antivenom program are milked weekly, the program’s website said. The venom is then sent to a pharmaceutical company that produces the antidote.
“Hercules is absolutely huge, as is his venom yield,” Teni said. “Which is so important to us because that venom is used to create life-saving antivenom.”
Facebook users shared shock and appreciation over the discovery.
“I almost peed my pants scrolling through FB and coming across this post,” one person commented on the park’s post.
“Without your antivenom program I would not be here today. Milk that big boy,” another person wrote.
“I generally don’t mind spiders, even Aussie ones,” a third commenter said. “But that one did freak me out somewhat — too big!”
Hercules was dropped off at one of the park’s drop-off locations at John Hunter Hospital in New South Wales, according to Teni. The hospital is about 100 miles northeast of Sydney.
This story was originally published January 4, 2024 at 10:34 AM with the headline "‘Giant’ venomous spider discovered in Australia. See the ‘absolutely huge’ monster."
